


The Kindness Of Strangers

by Leni



Series: The Kindness of Strangers [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-22 21:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4850777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if True Love's kiss <i>had</i> worked?</p><p> <br/><i>"I want to help you," he reminded her calmly. "You want victory, your Majesty. No. You want to reign supreme. It won't be enough to make your enemies kneel before you, will it? You must crush them to nothing under your heel."</i></p><p>  <i>After months of listening to her father beg for her to desist from her vengeance, after tiring herself of punishing her generals for their whines about the superiority of Snow White and Prince James's army, this stranger's words were a welcome change.</i></p><p>  <i>"I'm listening," she admitted.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kindness Of Strangers

Regina eyed the little house with distaste. The last time she'd found herself under a thatched roof that threatened to fall over her head at any moment, she'd been disguised as another woman. A _poor_ woman.

It had taken weeks to get rid of the stench.

"This better be worth my time," she sneered at the small man before her.

"Of course... your Majesty."

He didn't cower enough for her taste. The whole village had flown to the fields at the sight of her carriage, and only the old and the lame were huddling in their little coves, praying to their gods that the Evil Queen would not stop among them.

With one exception.

Whoever he was, he wasn't completely lost to the niceties owed to her rank, though the obsequious bow was troubled by the staff he handled.

Regina sniffed, severely disappointed, and pondered whether she should deliver the punishment now or after he proved as utterly useless as he looked. Some farmer barely washed onto this side of decency was not the sort of person she'd expected to meet.

But then, this was hardly the place she'd expected to visit today.

She would have never glanced at the tiny village twice, if the little trinket that had appeared at her vanity table hadn't started glowing as soon as this hovel came into sight.

The magic was simple, a guiding device and nothing more, but the feel of it was strong enough to catch her curiosity. Intuitively she'd known that it was powered to lead her across a long distance, and that it was meant for her use alone.

Intriguing.

The message that had accompanied it, a short note in elegant calligraphy and expensive paper, had explained that she'd find what she most needed if she accepted the gift.

Vague enough a promise to be dismissed, but the fact that a charm not of her making had managed to bypass her defenses.... That had demanded that she investigate in person.

And if she found what she needed... whatever that might be....

 _Patience,_ Regina counseled herself, though her lips curled at the idea.

She could not afford to lose any allies, as misshapen and weak as they could be. The last one who might have proved sympathetic was now exiled in her mother's land, probably cursing her name if he was still alive, and everyone else under her command had either been bought with coin or followed the commands she whispered into their hearts.

Or was her father.

And none of them - no, not even her own father - could help her.

Perhaps this wretch would be no better, but she'd at least have a moment's amusement while she tore the heart from his chest and squeezed it into dust before his eyes.

The thought made her smile. "Well?"

He dared look up, and there was a flash of teeth - a grin? - before he moved back from the doorstep and waved her in.

"You must be kidding," she hissed, but her only answer was the tap of the staff against the dirt floor.

A fireball would set him straight, she thought, then muffled a startled yelp when the magic wouldn't respond to her will.

"You came under my invitation, your Majesty," the low voice was laced with censure, "and you did it willingly. We take the guest laws seriously in these parts."

Regina scowled, lowering her hand. Old magic, binding intent if not might.

If she'd arrived with her army, she'd have laid waste to the entire village with no problem. But she came in peace, and this was the consequence of such folly.

Gritting her teeth, Regina reminded herself that she had good reason to travel here, and forced herself to step inside. The fact that she must bend her head or risk brushing her hair against the gritty underside of the doorway irked her further. "Speak, then," she demanded, with the haughtiness that reduced peasants to shivers.

This man chuckled.

"Come in, come in. Take a seat," he invited her closer, waving her over to the only chair in the room. "There is no rush, now is there? Your little war is lost and you know it."

Regina bristled, and her hands fisted impotently when her anger was ignored. But she sat down, curious enough to see this through.

With his back turned to her, the man hobbled to the corner where a small fire burned and stopped before a wooden table. "We are not without gossip from Queen Snow's lands," he told her as he fiddled with something - shrugging at her protest of ' _My_ lands!' - and Regina heard the hiss of boiling water before he continued, "Not a pretty picture for you, your Majesty. It's said that those who don't flee from you, are already in service to Snow White."

"Weaklings," she muttered.

"Perhaps. But then... I might not be too fond of the sea, but even I know that rats always run from a sinking ship."

Regina sprung to her feet. "You dare!"

Not even a shudder to appease her. "I want to help you," he reminded her calmly, "and denial isn't a good fit for you. You want victory, your Majesty. No. You want to reign supreme. It won't be enough to make your enemies kneel before you, will it? You must crush them to nothing under your heel."

After months of listening to her father beg for her to desist from her vengeance, after tiring herself of punishing her generals for their whines about the superiority of Snow White and Prince James's army, this stranger's words were a welcome change.

"I'm listening," she admitted, easing back down.

"Good. I do prefer to do this in a civilized manner." And, as if to give proof to his words, when he turned he was managing a tray with two steaming cups.

For a moment Regina wondered at the incongruity of the delicate porcelain in this setting, but then spied a chip on one of the cups. Second-hand, then, or perhaps pilfered from a lord's trash. She almost shuddered at the idea of drinking from that.

"Oh, it's not poisoned at all," the man told her, reading wrong her reaction and inadvertently setting a challenge she now must meet or be branded a coward. He set the tray before her, pushing the undamaged cup in her direction and waited until she grabbed it before raising his to his lips.

She managed a swallow to make her point, and then set the cup back down.

"More sugar?" he asked diligently.

She shook her head. With a sly smile, she added, "Why, is _that_ poisoned?"

The older the magic, the more loopholes to it. Hospitality laws were among the oldest, and Regina had been trained by the very devil to look for the weaknesses of any deal. They might not be able to harm each other while she remained under his roof, but should one willingly agree to take something harmful...

He gave her an approving glance, then chuckled. "My wife does insist I'm a proper host while she's from home," he told her easily, "so never fear."

Regina arched an eyebrow at that piece of information.

There was no evidence of a woman in this place, but it was so bare that it would be impossible to tell. Regina stored the knowledge anyway. Wives - especially beloved wives, and his tone betrayed that as it reeked of fondness - were a useful weakness.

She relaxed a little, sure again that she could manage this stranger.

"I have sat at your table and shared your meal," she said, though she planned to leave the rest of her tea to cool for all eternity if need be, "now it's your turn to do what I ask."

She expected more attempts at delay.

Instead he reached into the folds of his tunic and, from within the cheap cloth, retrieved a small artifact. It wasn't bigger than the palm of his hand, and no heavier than the empty teacup at his side.

Untold power whispered at her, seduction and ruin all at once, and demanded release from its binding.

Regina took in a startled breath at the sight of it. "How...?"

"I told you. Gossip reaches even this place, and from the snow mountains as well."

The spell in that scroll would lay waste to an entire world. Who else could have crafted that madness? Where else would have done it?

"The Dark Castle," she whispered, eyes glued to the Dark One's masterpiece.

"Empty," he said, fiddling with the delicate tube as if unaware of its power. "Falling into ruin without whatever magic supported the stones. A sad sight, really."

"Rumpel---" Even when he'd been gone for three years, Regina didn't dare say his name. "The Spinner?"

"Dead, people say." He shrugged, as if they weren't speaking of the most powerful creature who'd ever set foot in the Enchanted Forest. "And good riddance to that."

She wished she were as sure. Her former teacher was gone, yes; Regina hadn't heard from him since the day she set her ambush with a pretty, deluded girl as the bait. How had she laughed, then! But later she'd found no trace of either of them, and she'd doubted.

The only time True Love has worked in her favor, and she couldn't know how successful it had been.

"That was supposed to be hidden well." she said, motioning to his offering.

"Perhaps it was. Before the protective spells in the castle deteriorated so much."

Regina could have kicked herself for not raiding the Dark Castle herself.

She'd lost Maleficent's friendship for nothing. The older witch had been just as shocked at the fake scroll in her scepter, but then she'd delighted in laughing in Regina's face. The Dark One had lied to them both, she'd crowed, and even dead he got the last laugh.

But his work wasn't lost.

The Dark Curse.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

His glance said he'd be disappointed if she didn't guess.

"Gold, I'm sure," she said, giving the room around them a scornful look.

He laughed. "No, no. You'd make me rich for a day, and my dearest a rich widow for not much longer. No, your Majesty. I must think of my children - all of them, and orphans don't fare well in this world."

Fools and their brats. First Jefferson, placing that girl-child's welfare under her responsibility, and now this. Regina supposed he'd figured the war would reach this village eventually. "Protection for your family, then."

His eyes hardened. "I'd let them cuddle up to vipers first," he said. As she seethed at the insult, he continued, "No, your Majesty. What I want from you is... nothing."

Regina's anger ground to a halt. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing. _Nothing at all_. No interference, no spells, no watching through our mirrors. You don't even get to send any of your collection of heartless dolls after me or mine, and if one should get into their head to come check, you'll answer for that as well." He let that sink in. "You leave us in peace, forever, and this little trinket-" he spun the curse between his fingers "-will belong to you."

She eyed him distrustfully. "That's it?"

"For this, yes." His eyes widened innocently. "Unless you need something else from me?"

Regina scoffed. 

A straight deal, and it required no effort on her part. A little voice screamed that this man must be getting up to something, but Regina shut it up. He was a small magic-dabbler, so insignificant she'd never heard of him, and could barely feel a whisper of power a scant yard away. The charm that had brought her here, just like the Dark Curse now in his hands, must have been hoarded from more powerful wizards.

A nobody.

She crushed men like him every day, but they at least put up a fight. This one just gave up a treasure and asked for nothing she wasn't doing already. What was it to her, to ignore him again?

"Deal," she said.

The word bound her magic to the limits he had set.

He grinned in delight. "It's done, then," and tossed the scroll at her.

The moment Regina's fingers touched it, the breath left her body as power punched into her abdomen. Magic whirled around her, snatched her around the middle, and dragged her away back across the country.

She woke up to a genie shouting her name.

"I'm fine," she told him, lifting herself to her feet with one hand. The other she curled around her prize, grinning. It was still there. Still _hers_. "Everything is fine, at last!"

The face in her mirror was still worried. "Who was it, then?"

Regina opened her mouth to answer, but there was no name to give.

For a second, terror froze her heart and she wondered... Could it be? But no. _He_ wouldn't be as stupid as to give something this precious for nothing.

"Your Highness?" the genie insisted.

Regina thought about it, and slowly her lips curled into a triumphant smile.

"Nobody important," she said, laughing. "Just a fool."

 

The End  
22/09/15


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